title: Stressed spaces: mental health and architecture.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present a comprehensive review of the research literature on the effects of the architectural designs of mental health facilities on the users.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Using a team of cross-disciplinary researchers, this review builds upon previous reviews on general and geriatric healthcare design in order to focus on research undertaken for mental health care facility design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sources were gathered in 2010 and 2011. In 2010 a broad search was undertaken across health and architecture; in 2011, using keywords and 13 databases, researchers conducted a systematic search of peer reviewed literature addressing mental health care and architectural design published between 2005 to 2012, as well as a systematic search for academic theses for the period 2000 to 2012. Recurrent themes and subthemes were identified and numerical data that emerged from quantitative studies was tabulated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Key themes that emerged were nursing stations, light, therapeutic milieu, security, privacy, designing for the adolescent, forensic facilities, interior detail, patients' rooms, art, dementia, model of care, gardens, post-occupancy evaluation, and user engagement in design process. Of the 165 articles (including conference proceedings, books, and theses), 25 contained numerical data from empirical studies and 7 were review articles.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the review results, especially the growing evidence of the benefits of therapeutic design on patient and staff well-being and client length of stay, additional research questions are suggested concerning optimal design considerations, designs to be avoided, and the involvement of major stakeholders in the design process.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Evidence-based design, hospital, interdisciplinary, literature review, post-occupancy.
authors.affiliation: CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Kathleen Connellan, PhD, Division of Education, Arts and Social Sciences; School of Art, Architecture and Design; University of South Australia, City West Campus, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia; Kathleen.Connellan@unisa.edu.au; +61 8 830 20355.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Connellan
authors.forename: Mads
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gaardboe
authors.forename: Damien
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Riggs
authors.forename: Clemence
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Due
authors.forename: Amanda
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reinschmidt
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mustillo
mesh_terms: D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D006801:Humans; D008603:Mental Health